Acepromazine

Has anyone used the sedative Acepromazine? My vet prescribed this for my long trip up north for Maxwell since he does not like car rides too much and he gets antsy. I have searched the web and I have not found any information that is bad, but was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it. I was rec to give him 1/4 pill 3 hours before I leave then if needed another 1/4 an hour and a half later if needed, than 1/4 every 6 hours. I want to give him the lowest dosage possible. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I got the feeling no one has used this tranquilizer before. Anyway, I'm a little nervous about using it onthe trip, so I may try Benadryl, does anyone have any tips for me if I try this method. I realy just want to make Max drousy so he is not so restless on our long 13 hour car ride.

I have heard of this drug, it is similar to a human drug, that is quite safe for people, but I am not familiar with it's safety in dogs. I believe they have used it for a long time, but if you are concerned I would ask your vet to give you more information, side effects, risks, etc.
Personally, I would try something herbal first. Bach's Rescue Remedy can be found just about everywhere. Just put a few drops of it on their tongue during a particularily anxious moment, or if you expect him to be anxious. Also, many people will give it to their dogs for several days in their water before a big event, and continue to give it in his water during your trip.
I've tried it only 2x and it did seem to help Dancer accept her grooming session better. There are other people here who have more experience with it.
Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I didn't see your post till today!

We have not used Ace on our dogs. Our first never needed it, and we used Benadryl when flying our foster dog.

Truth be told, we didn't see much drowsiness from the Benadryl. :shrug:

I have read of a few people who have used Ace on their sheepies with great success for preventing panic from fireworks.

Acepromazine is one of the most commonly used tranquilizers in veterinary medicine. It is a phenothiazine compound. Its mode of action is only partially understood but it involves blockage of dopamine nerve receptors in the brain. It causes tranquilization and also has an anti-emetic effect. This makes it especially useful for treating car sickness, since that is often a combination of fear and motion sickness in dogs.

The recommended dosage for acepromazine is 0.25mg to 1mg per pound of body weight. In most cases it is not necessary to use the higher dosages. That is not true for use in trying to control fear based aggression. Acepromazine is considered to be very safe. The average toxic dose is significantly higher than the recommended dosage (at least 20 times the dose). Despite this, acepromazine does have some significant effects that must be considered. It can cause hypotension (lowering of blood pressure). This effect may be exaggerated in Boxers and there have been anecdotal reports of death of Boxers after the use of acepromazine. In addition, acepromazine seems to make it easier for dogs with seizure disorders to have a seizure. This medication should not be used near the time of dipping or treatment with organophosphates for flea control.

Acepromazine doesn't have any pain-killing effects. Many dogs seem to be able to will themselves to overcome its effects, at least temporarily. This makes it less than ideal as a drug for dealing with aggressive or fearful dogs but there have not been better alternatives for medicating prior to the visit. It works often enough that many vets will try this approach first. We do this when we think it has a chance of helping make an office visit go easier. We just remember to continue to be very careful when examining the dog.

Mike Richards, DVM

Thanks for the info Ron. I did not find anything negative about it on the web either. I am just nervous - ya know, he may be one of the few that have a bad reaction. I may be up your area in August too. I have family in Boston so during my 4 weeks off I'm tourinng the Northeast, Buffalo, Ontario, Saratogo, Boston.

Possible approach: Test a small dosage well before the trip... increase until desired effect?

Where near Boston?

Shelly,

I didn't see your original post - SORRY! I've used this drug before and I would not recommend unless their is a strong need for it and all other options have been exhausted. It is a tranquilizer - and impairs the dogs functions.

Both my sisters dog, Zoe, and my friends dog, Ruffio, had to use ACE during the fireworks on 4th of July. It takes alot out of them - particularly Zoe - the effects last a while. Plus, she's a basset hound - so you know how pathetic they look as it is - imagine that on drugs!

I'd try the Benadryl first or Rescue Remedy.

Good Luck!

Kristen

Kristen, thanks for the reply and the advice. I have rescue remedy, and will get some benadryl. Whatis the rec. dosage? I don't want max to be "out" becasue he will need to get up and out of the car at rest areas. He's not horrible in the car, I can just tell he is anxious and wants out. Thanks again!

I think the dosage for Benadryl is 25 mg - but double check the bottle. I give Brittney the same dosage for a human (1 pill).

It won't knock him out completely (he'll be sleepy) - but the ACE will. Mosi (my sister's other basset) got a pill by accident and he was like a drunken sailor (not a pretty sight! LOL).

Have a great time and be careful!

Kristen

my advice - don't use the acepromazine! stick with benadryl. my dog had a serious adverse reaction to it yesterday morning and i have to take him back to the vet today. if you want to hear more you can email me at laceybell@hotmail.com i don't want to share my story on the web.

I had used Ace for our old sheepdog Newman when we had a 13 hour trip to GA along with 2 cats. He did fine on it but was a little loopy.

Used it on Frank for car anxiety and it didn't even put a dent in his anxiety or energy level for that matter.

My neighbor used it on her Boxer to calm her down because of fireworks. Boxers have very adverse reactions to it and should have never been prescribed by the vet for her. I am not sure if there are other breeds too that experience such bad side effects but acepromazine for Boxers should be forbidden.

Rescue Remedy, homeopathic meds & Dramamine also did not help Frank's car anxiety. Only thing that I have noticed that helps a little is Benedryl. I give him 1 tablet for his 83lb body and it seems to take a little edge off the anxiety although it doesn't tire him at all.

Bottom line is each dog is different, if you're going to experiment just start with small doses.

good luck with your trip!

Deb

I've used it a lot for Lucy because she used to be deathly afraid of thunderstorms-- to the point that we were worried that she would hurt herself because of the way that she'd try to get under things or squeeze into areas that she wouldn't fit, not to mention she would shake so hard, I thought that she would have a heart attack. The acepromozine was a godsend for us. After she was able to calm down for awhile, she didn't even need it anymore because she realized that the storms didn't hurt her. Now she toughs them out no problem. The important thing we learned, very quickly, was the right time to administer. Once she was upset, there was no getting her to take it!

My vote is for the benedryl. I've used it on a number of occasions. The pediatric solution (12.5mg/5ml) comes with weight based dosing directions and I have found it works quite well. Tasker HATES to go to the Vet and I use a low does to calm him when he has an ear infection and I know the Vet is going to mess with his ears. I have also used it on the 4th of july because he also Hates fireworks.
Ginny

We use it in clinics all the time for anxious dogs. If you are just using it to calm them down there are less aggressive treatments around that you can even get OTC. Ace is a sedative that can really knock them out. We use it to induce anesthesia sometimes. It dialates their pupils a lot and stays in their system for a day or two depending on how fast your dogs metabolism is. We also use it for animals that go home after exstensive surgery and they need to stay still. Their appetite will decrease to almost nothing and sometimes they wont want to eat at all.

If anyone has any medical questions. I'm a vet tech and can help out as much as I can or talk to the vets I work for. Just email me or message me.I check my emails several times a day and can get back to you asap.

nina

Hi.. I have used Ace for my 4 month old collie. My vet told me to give Mistque 2 pills (50 mg) total.. My little baby so was drugged. we tried Benadryl and she still keep getting car sick.. She is so bad we couldn't even go around the block cuz she would get sick.. I live in Ohio and I travel to New York where I am from to visit family. Mistque has been doing great, so the medicine does work. The dose I was rec to give her lasted the whole 14 hour trip.. It all depends on your dog..

Benedryl will knock them out more than ace will. Benedryl is supposed to be an antihistamine but for people it just knocks you out so that you dont know how allergic you are. We use it as a sedative for animals but it will knock them out too. Ace is a very safe drug to use. We use it all the time in clinics. It will leave them a bit drowsy but thats the effect you want. It wont knock them out at 1/4 tab, especially not an OES. I wouldnt mess around with the dosage though because if you give small amounts a lot it may not have the desired effect and might actually make him a bit waky. I would stick with what the vet gave you but thats everyones personal choice.

I have used Ace for many years on my dog because it seemed to be the only thing that worked. I try not to use too often as my vet says it can untimately cause liver damage. Last year my vet gave me an anti-anxiety pill a month before storm season to allow us to lower the Ace dosage. A friend recently recommended Benadryl and we were very pleased. I couldn't stand to see my dog after giving her Ace anymore. She became VERY droopy and I had to keep constant watch as she could hardly walk at times. The Benadryl just makes her sleep and I feel much better that she doesn't look all drugged up as she does with Ace.

Acepromazine is a very common "sedative like" drug.

I've used it and it's worked wonders. I suggest trying it out beforehand to make sure it works on your animal and to learn what dosage is necessary, as well as finding out how long it takes the drug to take effect.

First time I used it I didn't give it enough time - and my pet started to panic and the acepromazine wasn't strong enough to overcome. Since then I give it an hour before I travel and it works great - she stays calm and somewhat "out of it" and doesn't mind the travel that much.

Try it before you need it, it's generally a fairly harmless drug, and the dosages and timing are different for each animal.

I've used Ace numerous times for my cats. I live in Alaska and have traveled back and forth to the lower 48 numerous times with my animals. I've found that I've only needed to give this med to them essentially the first day, subsequent days they're pretty relaxed and don't necessarily need the med, although I have on occasion, given it to them during subsequent days it they're feeling a little nervouse. I don't believe this should pose much risk for your dog, providing he's not a boxer.

Rick wrote:

I don't believe this should pose much risk for your dog, providing he's not a boxer.

Boxers are definitely a no, no with this med, but each animal is different in the way it reacts to medication and I need to stress to monitor your pet on any kind of medication that you give it.

I use Ace here all the time. When i have a girl in season and Duncan is beside himeslef. This iss what the vet gave me to use. It DOES calm them down.......

I am so happy that I found this site. We flew for the first time with our 8 month old Shih Tzu a few weeks ago and he literally screamed for the whole 4 hour flight.

Yesterday we went to a local vet who examined him and gave us the Ace. I had purchased a liquid OTC anxiety formula but was afraid I would not be able to get it on the plane with the new no liquid rule.

Gino is 7.5 lbs and the vet recommended 1/4 tab. Do you think I should try one now?

Thanks so much.

Karen

Welcome to the forum!

Karen54 wrote:

Do you think I should try one now?

Yes!

Karen54 wrote:

Do you think I should try one now?

I don't know if you should, but it makes sense to test it on Gino!

Peanut (toy Poodle) 8lbs took this for flying.
He usually required a second dose because he was still shaking when we got to the plane.
He did great once the second dose kicked in and was quite the whole flight.

Thank you Valerie and Pepsi's Mommy. I gave Gino 1/4 about 1/2 hour ago and he is sleeping by my feet. I'll check back in a couple of hours to let you know how he is doing.

Ok, going to figure out how to join your group.

Only experience with ACE was with a Newfoundland and a long car trip. After awhile I was ready to take the ACE and let the darn dog drive since that's what he wanted to do from the start. The ACE had no effect!

Now for car sickness.............ginger: either the candy or ginger snaps. Works on dog and works on me! Actually for me I'm now the designated driver, that solved the problem. But if I am ever again faced with a merry-go-round or airplane, I'd best have that ginger close at hand.

For Chum, the vet said try 1/2 tablet -- that did nothing. He said I could give as much as 1 table. The full tablet only kicks in after about 3 hours but it only mellows her out -- doesn't knock her out.

Well, it's almost seven and I gave Gino a 1/4 tab around 2:00. He was sleepy but thankfully not "knocked out". He would look up if I called his name and when my husband opened the door Gino got up and slowly went to the door. He would normally bolt towards it.

Happy that there were no adverse effects. We have an ll:30 a.m. flight so I'll give him 1/4 tab about 45 minutes before we take off as Patrick said on the flight here Gino was fine until the engines started.

Thank you all for your comments. Since I'm not an OES owner, I guess I'll just stay as a guest if that is okay.

You guys are great and so incredibly helpful.

Karen

Karen54 wrote:

Since I'm not an OES owner, I guess I'll just stay as a guest if that is okay.

Sure! Whatever you want! Although you wouldn't be the first member without a sheepie. . .

Glad to hear Gino is doing well. Happy travels!

Well, Gino was perfect while we went through security and he sat looking out the window of the airport watching planes arrive and depart prior to our flight. People young and old came over to take a look at our sweet boy, complimenting his behavior and his cuteness. I gave him his 1/4 tablet 45 minutes prior to boarding. When they called us to board we put him into his bag and got on the plane. We put his bag on the floor in front of us and he started barking, crying and viciously biting his bag. It took about another half hour before the pill kicked in.
We had a stop in Washington and I took him out of the bag. He was alert but much more calm. The hostess was very nice and she told us the flight wasn't full for the continuance to PB and if no one said anything we could keep Gino on the seat in front of us. I decided that he should have another dose so gave him another 1/4 pill, put his blanket on the seat and hoped for the best. The engines started and he came to sit on my lap looking out the window until we were in the clouds. He then continued to pace between my husband and I for nearly the entire 2 hour flight. I could tell he was fighting the pill because he kept "nodding". Ten minutes before we landed in Palm Beach he was snoring in my arms.
We believe that he didn't like being zipped into the bag. At home we keep the bag in our office and he goes in during the day, keeps some of his toys in it and occasionally sleeps in it. We take that same bag in the car every time we take him for a drive. He didn't seem to be afraid of the noise, so being unable to see what was going on is the only reason I can imagine he was so upset.

Thanks for the update! Glad it went ... ummm, almost perfectly!

Perhaps for the return trip you could acclimate him to being zipped in at your feet for a half hour a couple of times a day for a few days? Maybe that would help?

But it really does sound like it went pretty good.

Glad to hear everything went well!

Shelly wrote:

Has anyone used the sedative Acepromazine? My vet prescribed this for my long trip up north for Maxwell since he does not like car rides too much and he gets antsy. I have searched the web and I have not found any information that is bad, but was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it. I was rec to give him 1/4 pill 3 hours before I leave then if needed another 1/4 an hour and a half later if needed, than 1/4 every 6 hours. I want to give him the lowest dosage possible. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Yes we have a black lab that we got at 6 months old at a shelter and boy did she have issues. She is now 5 years old and has come a long way. We have a summer place in the adirondacks which we travel to every weekend. Unfortunately, Abbey is not a traveler andour vet recommened Acepromazine after trying out other options. She weighs about 75 lbs and we give her about a 1/2 a pill about 1 hour before we travel. She is fine a bit sedated. We have been doing this for about 4 years now. It last for about 8 hours. We give her 25mg . Abbey has more of an anxiety problem . Good luck, hope you have happy traveling.

I read something about using this drug for fear aggression. I have ace. leftover from one of our dogs after surgery care. One of our other dogs is a very aggressive pit mix. She is very sweet to my daughter and myself but hates everyone else. She is very scared and timid of anything different, i can't even take her for walks cause she freaks out over anything. I'm wondering if ace. might help her issues? Has anyone used it for this problem?Just now I gave our other 2 dogs each 1/2 tab as they are scared to death of the firecrackers going off in the area(its the 4th). Any advise is appreciated! Thanks....Kristine

Anonymous wrote:

I read something about using this drug for fear aggression. I have ace. leftover from one of our dogs after surgery care. One of our other dogs is a very aggressive pit mix. She is very sweet to my daughter and myself but hates everyone else. She is very scared and timid of anything different, i can't even take her for walks cause she freaks out over anything. I'm wondering if ace. might help her issues? Has anyone used it for this problem?Just now I gave our other 2 dogs each 1/2 tab as they are scared to death of the firecrackers going off in the area(its the 4th). Any advise is appreciated! Thanks....Kristine

I think a behaviorist would benefit you much more than any drug will. All acepromazine will do is make the dog groggy, which I would think, may actually make your problem worse. If the dog isn't clear headed, and is faced with an already stressful situation, I'd worry about her reactions.

My yellow lab was prescribed Ace. She literally loses her mind during storms, fireworks, when our neighbor decides to shoot a groundhog, etc. She's broken thru doors already. After giving the pill it usually took a good half hour to see noticeable effects so like what was said earlier, timing is key. I recommend bookmarking your local Doppler radar. (Meteorology has become my reluctant but required hobby.) If I wait until she is in full panic mode, my next hour is devoted to sitting in the bathroom with the vent on high and all the lights on making sure she doesn't force her way under the sink cabinets. Oh, and make sure you get that thing down her throat. There's nothing like finding it on the floor an hour later. (It gets stuck between her gums) What's really enjoyable is when there is no storm or any other perceivable stress inhibitor and all of sudden she comes up to me panting and shaking, trying to occupy the same space as me. What in the name of all things holy makes a dog act this way? It's like taking care of a 90 pound, insane, juggernaut. What a test of patience and futility. While normally quite a sweetie, it's like she's possessed. I can't watch Dr. Jekkyl and Mr. Hyde without getting queasy. (I used to love thunderstorms too.......sorry about the ranting) Acepromazine does work, but don't expect your dog to be able to go out to pee or walk down stairs for about 3 or 4 hours.

I'm not sure my post here has any useful info, but just thank the lord above you don't own my dog.

Anonymous wrote:

I'm not sure my post here has any useful info, but just thank the lord above you don't own my dog.

Definitely it is helpful to share the range of experiences. Every dog is different.

Have you tried Pill Pockets when giving your dog Ace? My Chumley will eat pretty much anything if it is in a pill pocket. Doesn't work for everyone though. Maggie carefully chews all around and spits out the pill. For her, I coat her pills in butter so they slide right down her throat.

IMHO, Ace and an already aggressive dog are a dangerous combination. It was explained like this to me: A dog has a "fight or flight" instinct for protection. When his "flight" ability is compromised (by the effects of the drug) he goes into "fight" mode. Unfortunately, he doesn't fully comprehend what he's doing and the effects of the drug can magnify the behavior. The simple act of reaching for her leash caused our rescue girl "Sassy" to put some nasty puncture wounds in my arm. She has a grumpy demeanor anyway and this sedation just made it worse.

Our rescue dog Maggie McGee did well on Ace for long car trips with no aggressive behavior. She was the sweetest dog ever, just kind of crazy in the car. It just took her a long time to come out from under the influence of Ace after the trip and rather pathetic to witness. She was only given a half the recommended dose, too!

I would suggest you use great care when sedating an already unpredictable dog and even consider the use of a muzzle when doing so. Better yet, avoid Ace whenever possible in favor of something milder such as Benedryl or Rescue Remedy.

I use it for my border collie. The first time I have him one I only gave him half and he could hardly walk. He weighs 50 pounds. Now when I use it I try to break it into thirds. I think its prettty much trial and error. Try a little before your long trip. Good Luck!

I used the med today b/c my dog has terrible fear of thunderstorms. the vet said you can give 1mg per pound. my irish setter is 67lbs. she gave me the 10mg pills. i gave him 20mg and he was just trashed. it's very sedating and he was even having trouble walking. i will probably try it again but give only 10mg, 1/5 of what is recommended. i am a nurse so i naturally started with half the dose. every patient reacts differently to certain medications. my advice would be that it can be used but in very tiny doses until you can figure out what your dog can tolerate and also remember it hangs around for 6-8 hours, sometimes longer. good luck with it. m

Sorry your pooch had such a strong reaction.

From above:

Quote:

The recommended dosage for acepromazine is 0.25mg to 1mg per pound of body weight. In most cases it is not necessary to use the higher dosages.

So you were a little bit over the minimum recommended dosage, as 67 * .25 = 16.75mg still WELL within the safe zone, thank goodness.

Perhaps your vet said up to? If not, perhaps you should check back with him/her.

OES4ever wrote:

We use it in clinics all the time for anxious dogs. If you are just using it to calm them down there are less aggressive treatments around that you can even get OTC. Ace is a sedative that can really knock them out. We use it to induce anesthesia sometimes. It dialates their pupils a lot and stays in their system for a day or two depending on how fast your dogs metabolism is. We also use it for animals that go home after exstensive surgery and they need to stay still. Their appetite will decrease to almost nothing and sometimes they wont want to eat at all.

If anyone has any medical questions. I'm a vet tech and can help out as much as I can or talk to the vets I work for. Just email me or message me.I check my emails several times a day and can get back to you asap.

nina

I think you're thinking of the term "premedication" rather than "inducing anesthesia". Ace is not an induction drug (check Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook at your office). It's usually given as a premedication in conjunction with Butorphanol and Atropine. A combination of Ketamine and Valium is commonly given to induce anesthesia.

I used The ace sedative yesterday on my 8 yr old pitbull..It was given to him at 10 till 3:00 and by 5:00 no affects then By 7;30..I notice a bad reaction..I almost lost him during the night due to this medicine! he stopped breathing several times and was choking, the whites of his eyes truned gray ,he had all the signs of death coming. i had to wrap him in blankets and keep him very warm..it lowered his blood pressure so severly!! He wasnt his self again till ..11:00 oclock today!!! I will never use that again and do not advise it to anyone!!!..

Thanks, Terrie. That's a great reminder. I'm glad your boy is OK.

Guys - please be aware the Ace is on the list of drugs that dogs who carry the MDR1 gene mutation (multidrug resistance gene) may have adverse reactions to.

(Think Collies - and relatives, like our dogs, and even some sight hounds and mixed breeds for that matter - and the bad reactions some can have to high doses of ivermectin and so on)

Acepromazine (tranquilizer and pre-anesthetic agent)-In dogs with the MDR1 mutation, acepromazine tends to cause more profound and prolonged sedation.We recommend reducing the dose by 25% in dogs heterozygous for the MDR1 mutation (mutant/normal) and by 30-50% in dogs homozygous for the MDR1 mutation (mutant/mutant).

Granted, though they've seen a bit of a spike in OES testing mutant/mutant and mutant/normal these past few months, I don't think it's necessarily terribly widespread in our breed, but if you don't know your dog's genetic status (there is a test to determine of they are likely to have multidrug sensitivities: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/test.aspx - it's a simple cheek swab, you can order the test kit and submit it yourself if you have cause for concern), better safe than sorry.

Kristen, thanks for the reply and the advice. I have rescue remedy, and will get some benadryl. Whatis the rec. dosage? I don't want max to be "out" becasue he will need to get up and out of the car at rest areas. He's not horrible in the car, I can just tell he is anxious and wants out. Thanks again!

I believe we use the med you asked about for our Irish setter to get him to the vets etc, as he is very car phobic. Believe me it does not put him out. He destroyed the divider in my car one day while he was on it.

My vet has prescribed in the past ACE for my boys (& girls actually) when the girls were in season either at the same time or one right close to the other, enough to drive the boys totally batty.

It does 'drowse" them out........... calm them down.

The problem with benydrl is the dogs can become accustomed to it making the need to increase the dosage more over the amout of time you use it. It also had good effects on some dogs and others, it ws like nothing......

Ali

Shelly wrote:

Has anyone used the sedative Acepromazine? My vet prescribed this for my long trip up north for Maxwell since he does not like car rides too much and he gets antsy. I have searched the web and I have not found any information that is bad, but was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it. I was rec to give him 1/4 pill 3 hours before I leave then if needed another 1/4 an hour and a half later if needed, than 1/4 every 6 hours. I want to give him the lowest dosage possible. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Quote:

I have two poodles, one of which cannot ride in the car without major hysteria and throwing up and that is all before we even leave the parking space in our condo's garage. Going to the groomer's or to our relatives for visits and holidays (only 45 min. away) is impossible without giving him 5 mg of Acepromazine about 1 hour before leaving. No problems at all. He is quiet during travel but frisky upon arriving at our destination. If the groomer runs late, in order to get back into Boston I have her give him 2.5 mg before I pick him up; otherwise he is crazed all the way. I just discovered this website so this information may not be timely but for others just looking into Acepromazine, I recommend you check with your vet about frequency and dosage. It has worked wonders for us. We no longer have to leave him at home all the time.[/b]

Be really careful using this on your pets. My vet gave it to me for my 70 lb dog after he had sugery because he could not tolerate pain medication. The tablet was 25 mg and the dosage said 1/2 to 1 tablet. I gave him 1 tablet since he had just had surgery a couple of days prior, and he could barely move within an hour. His eyes were glassed over and he even had difficulty moving his mouth. For the next 8 hours I had trouble even getting him to be able to get up and walk outside to go potty. The next day I switched to 1/2 tablet and he was better but was still pretty sedated and even the next morning, still would not walk around enough to even do his business. I'm only giving him 1/4 tablet now and only if he really seems in pain. I just want to warn people to be very careful with it and if you really feel your pet needs it, only the smallest dosage and watch how they react to it.

I have 2 rescue dogs . Jacob is a bundle of nerves (anxiety about anything), Lizzy hates other female dogs. Both shapie and lab mix. I tried benedryl it worked at first (dosed as needed) , then stopped working. Then I tried 1/2 ~ 50 mg tab amitriptyline (eleville) ~ vet perscribed, this It was wonderful he was himself again and he stop chewing his feet and was happy and lizzy didn't get bothered by other femal dogs as much. What a blessing . I changed vet's , the new one said let's give them promazine for thunderstorms and nervious behavior. Boy was she wrong - it took 2 days for my dogs to stop being afraid and get back to normal. on PSYweb.com under Promazine , it say's in big red letters: Do not Treat Chronic aggression,Anxiety or Agitation with Promazine . It is used in treatment of disorganization and psychotic thinking and hallucinations or delusions. Does your dog have these problems? Mine didn't. Don't take the Pill-even for your dog! Eleville is better! Trust me, dose it down for dog[/b]

We gave our dog, who became afraid of storms following the fourth of july fireworks last year this med. We have had conaiderable thunder and lightning storms so far this spring and we were worried abuther heart. It beat furiously and she panted continiously all night during storms. We gave her i/2 a pill and it keeps her calm and sleeping when the storms comes at night. so worth her peace of mind and calmness

Hi everyone,
I gave it twice to my cats (sorry, respected dog audience ) but at least 3 of my friends gave it to their dogs. Excellent stuff! My cats made it all the way from Houston to Paris, France and then St. Petersburg, Russia, and back. I gave one 10 mg pill to a 14-pound cat and 1/2 to a 10-pound cat before leaving home for Paris, and then 1/4 each for the european leg. It works both as a tranquilizer and a nausea 'inhibit'. No problems and no accidents on a 10-hour transatlantic flight in the cabin. They slept tight, got compliments from the crew commander for excellent behavior, and when they woke up they were just fine. It is important not to feed the pet for a few hours before the plane trip, and no water too for cats - you can't take them for a walk right before loading on the plane. They'll be OK. They loved Paris

I am a Vet Tech and we give out Acepromazine and also Alprazolam to dogs for the 4th of July, it is best to give it BEFORE they get excited or nervous, we usually recommend starting the day before all the activity starts so it keeps them calm. It works great, but some dogs it can make them MORE excited

I got on the web to also find out info about Acepromazine and I have to tell you my experience was scary.

I gave my older ailing dog Duncan a single tab during a thunder storm only to wake up with him on the living room floor so out of it we thought he was dead. He had messed himself and peed on the carpet and was totally lethargic that, after 12 hrs we rushed him to the vet and was told that his respiration was down and pulse and we should put him to sleep. I, like a dump ####, let them do it. .

A day later on the fourth of July last week I gave my other dog Trouble 1 tab (fortunately not two) and she was out for 24 hrs. She messed herself uncontrollably and could not stand or walk for 12 hours and was in and out of a deep sleep for 24 hrs. It was scary. I now believe that A 1/4 tab sounds better then a whole tab but beware of long term sleep.

I now feel that it was the Acepromazine that reduced Duncans pulse and they missed diagnosed his condition and he was put to sleep prematurely. I am not sure that this medicine is safe.

Try motion pills they do the same and are over the counter.

I'm very sorry for your loss. I'd be more concerned that it may be your vet that is to blame more than the pills themselves. It sounds like the dosage was WAY too high. Ace is just supposed to calm them down, not knock them out to the point that you can't tell if they're breathing. Do you know how many milligrams each pill was? If I remember correctly, I used to give half of a 10 mg pill for a 65 pound dog and then I'd give her the other half later if needed. She would never even go to sleep, she just got a little woozy but was wide awake and still alert-- slow, but alert! It was just enough to take the edge off.

Thank You for your sympathy. The pills were 25 mg and from what I am reading 1/4 to a 1/2 would have been better. I won't ever give that stuff to any of my dogs again. I can't believe they would prescribe 50 mg if I had it surely would have killed trouble.

unclewaynw wrote:

Thank You for your sympathy. The pills were 25 mg and from what I am reading 1/4 to a 1/2 would have been better. I won't ever give that stuff to any of my dogs again. I can't believe they would prescribe 50 mg if I had it surely would have killed trouble.

Wow. That sounds like way too much. How big are your dogs?

That is very scary.

My daughter Lisa had Ace prescribed for Spike Lee when she brought him home over Christmas. Her vet was very careful, though.
She had to bring him into the vet office and they started with low doses and observed him. They found the correct dose, and it worked perfect for his trip.

Not as a plug for Petsmart and Banfield, but that is her vet out in NY, and it was all covered by her insurance. Lisa says her vet is good because her name is Lisa too!!

Shelly wrote:

Has anyone used the sedative Acepromazine? My vet prescribed this for my long trip up north for Maxwell since he does not like car rides too much and he gets antsy. I have searched the web and I have not found any information that is bad, but was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it. I was rec to give him 1/4 pill 3 hours before I leave then if needed another 1/4 an hour and a half later if needed, than 1/4 every 6 hours. I want to give him the lowest dosage possible. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Hi, I live in Europe and have used Acepromazine on my dog. I hate it. It makes him sleepy and it always takes days for his metabolism to return to normal. In Germany they often use Valerian root and I find this works for them. YOu can buy it over the counter and give your dog a child sized dose. Acepromazine used to be used on humans in the 1950s....why give your dog something a human wouldn/'t take?

My first sheepie Lucy was given Ace and she did ok with it. However I gave my current dog Sadie 12.5mg during a thunderstorm and she was not herself for 24 hours. She lost all control of her bladder and I was very thankful that I had hardwood floors. I will never give that to her again.

sadielady wrote:

My first sheepie Lucy was given Ace and she did ok with it. However I gave my current dog Sadie 12.5mg during a thunderstorm and she was not herself for 24 hours. She lost all control of her bladder and I was very thankful that I had hardwood floors. I will never give that to her again.

I would talk to the vet - it could just be the dosage was wrong.

kerry wrote:

sadielady wrote:

My first sheepie Lucy was given Ace and she did ok with it. However I gave my current dog Sadie 12.5mg during a thunderstorm and she was not herself for 24 hours. She lost all control of her bladder and I was very thankful that I had hardwood floors. I will never give that to her again.

I would talk to the vet - it could just be the dosage was wrong.

My daughter's little Spike Lee (a min pin) got ace for travel anxiety when flying home from NY to MN last Christmas.
What her vet did was good. She (vet) explained that all dogs react differently, so what might be a good dose for one will be too much or too little for another dog, even of the same size and weight. Lisa had to bring Spike Lee in and they did a controlled dosing trial in the vet clinic. After she determined the correct dose to get the desired effect, but still be safe - then she got the meds.

And it worked - Spike slept through the flight, and was just rousing by the time they landed. He was awake and functional shortly afterwards. It worked just as well for the flight home.

Ace is commonly understood to work as sort of a chemical straight jacket. You dog will not be able to move or respond normally but their brain is still alert and aware unless they are completely unconcious. Unlike an anti anxiety drug they are not made to feel good about things or relaxed, they just cannot move.
Very risky to use with fearful or aggressive dogs because they are unable to respond but they are still being flooded with the things that they find upsetting and because they cannot react the fearful or aggressive response can become more profound...
I'm sure it is helpful for emergency situations for veterinarians but the risks are really not worth it for any other reason.

I have a rottie/german sheppard mix and I have given her both Benadryl and Ace (not at the same time) and I do use them for different things. When I was in nursing school I had a vet teaching human anatomy and we had to evacuate for a hurricane and I asked him what I should do. If you are going on trips that are not that long you can give 50mg of Benadryl to a dog that weighs 50lbs. I gave that to her and she was fine. She didn't knock out, but she was really thirsty (which is to be expected with an antihistamine). Since then she has gained 46 pounds and that doesn't work that well. She can not stand getting her nails clipped so I have to give her something to calm her down so she will not bite anybody. I took her to the vet and they gave her a shot of Ace/pain med/atropine and it worked really well. The only thing I did not like about it was the fact she looked so pathetic and couldn't do much the rest of the day. He gave me a prescription for 25mg tablets and he told me to start off with half of that to see how she reacts and he did say that it will not last as long as the injection. So far this seems to work pretty good. Half the dose still dopes her up, but she doesn't stay in that state for the entire day. If anyone is considering using Ace and you are concerned you should know just because they give you 25 mg you don't need to give them the full dose. If the tablet is scored (meaning you can cut it in half - they will have a line/crease in the middle of the tablet) you can cut the dose down to see if this is the affect you want to achieve. If it is still too much you can cut it down again only giving them one fourth of the dose. This will be the first year I will be giving her Ace for New Year's Eve and I am glad that I will be able to give this to her. The fireworks stress her out big time and I hate to see her go through this. Last year I gave her 50mg of liquid Benadryl and it just slowed her down a little bit, but she was still anxious. But what everyone needs to know is that if you use Ace and your dog gets an adverse reaction there is an antidote your vet can give them, but if you use Benadryl there is not an antidote - your dog will have to wait it out and let the medicine wear off on its own. There is risks you will take with both medicines so just be careful and do your homework on both of them. Also don't be suprised your pet does not eat anything the day you give them Ace just make sure they have a lot of water. This will help them flush out the medicine when they urinate. Just like with a human start them off slow the next day with their diet. I hope this helps anyone who is thinking about using Ace. It does work, you just need to find a dose that you feel safe with.

I regularly give acepromazine to my shih tzu when he is groomed. I give half of a 10 mg tablet. I wait about a half hour for it to kick in. He remains kind of sleepy for most of the rest of the day. If I didn't sedate him this way, he would bite and scratch the groomer! My advice: Try it out before the BIG DAY and start with a smaller dose. 5 mg is recommended by my vet for my c.13-pound dog.

Riggins, my 100 lb. muscular dog gets knocked out on 50mg of acepromzine. His lower eyelids droop, he cannot hold up his head and he has an unsteady walk.

Acepromazine takes about 3 hrs. to take effect on Riggins. Riggins is an overprotective aggressive dog and needs meds when he goes to the vet.

Has anyone heard about ACE causing blood in the stool? I found this about 2 days after he took ACE.

I am concerned because he will be taking ACE 3x a week for radiation of his grade one malignant peripheral nerve sheath cancer.

Any adivce will be helpful and appreciated...thank you..raisa

RAISA wrote:

Riggins, my 100 lb. muscular dog gets knocked out on 50mg of acepromzine. His lower eyelids droop, he cannot hold up his head and he has an unsteady walk.

Acepromazine takes about 3 hrs. to take effect on Riggins. Riggins is an overprotective aggressive dog and needs meds when he goes to the vet.

Has anyone heard about ACE causing blood in the stool? I found this about 2 days after he took ACE.

I am concerned because he will be taking ACE 3x a week for radiation of his grade one malignant peripheral nerve sheath cancer.

Any adivce will be helpful and appreciated...thank you..raisa

I'd decrease the dose so it's enough for him to calm down rather than nearly knocked out. It affects all dogs differently so even though the vet may have prescribed 50 mg, you can better see how it affects your dog. Maybe try a trial run with half of the pill and see how he does.

i use it on the boys here when a girl is in season and they are not the stud. But i've never given so much they cannot MOVE! Just enough to take the edge off...... I've gone now witn Duncan not eating for 4 days... Checkers just smells the air. Dee isn't eating either. One more week of this..........

I never give anything when i fly a dog. I want them to be awake and alert enough to brace themselves if there is turbulance. They all do well (so far) in flying.......

of course after the plane crash here last week and watching the plane on the tv crunch and crumble i'm not sure i'm flying them anywhere for a while.

I have a 6lb dog that is limping. The vet said he suspected he injured his ACL, but does not believe it is torn or ruptured. He prescribed rest. Unfortunately my boy is a 15 month old bundle of energy. 1/4 tab once or twice a day has been prescribed to settle him down. I gave him 1/4 tab about 1 1/2 hours ago and he is quiet enough to put into a pen with out jumping up and down which would agrivate his leg. He is a bit wobbly, but still is watching all other activity.

How long have other dogs stayed on Ace? Ali posted she uses it on her males when a female comes into season. My boy stays interested in females during their whole cycle, approx 30 days. Is it safe to keep them on it that long? I have 20 doses.

Hi Shelly,
I have used Acepromazine every 3 months to tranquilize my 2 cats to have their teeth clean by a vet tech at home. It is very safe and I have never had a problem with it in 3 years. The first time I was going to use Acepromazine, I did do as my vet suggested which was to do a test run prior to the day I would need to actually use it. This was to see how each of my girls reacted to the drug and to make sure the dosage was enough and also not too much. Both my girls weigh the same, but my one girl has more anxiety, so she needed the full dose. Her sister did fine with the lesser dose. Do the test run when you can be home with Maxwell all day to observe him and keep him safe. He will be like a "drunken sailor" when the ACE kicks in and then within a half hour he'll be sleepy. Keep your eye on him the entire time and put him in the kennel if you need to be away from him so he doesn't hurt himself.

I have a very sweet 6 lbs. chihuahua that does not travel well. She shakes uncontrollably the entire time the vehicle is moving. Vet suggested benadril, did not phase her. The he suggested dremamene (sorry about spelling) also did not help. She is so worked up the medication does not help, she shakes so hard she exhausts herself and also over heats. The vet then prescribed ace. We gave her 1/4 dose 1 hour before leaving. She became calm about 2 hours into the trip. So this did help but we needed to give the dosage 2 to 3 hours before we set out. She did show aggression, not her nature at all, for another 4 hours.It is known on rare occasions to cause aggression. She was not herself for 8 hours. It's really up to you on what you want to risk. I think I would use ace again and just use caution with the aggression.

I have 2 dogs that dont travel well in the mountains and gave them 10mg each of Ace. While one laid down but didnt sleep she was calm, the other one-who is way more nervous in general-was drousy but still very anxious-not a fun trip! Then we got home and they slept for a day. Benedryl from personal experience, working at a vet's office and also talking to other dog owners doeesnt work if drowsy is what youre looking for. I have never heard of it causing a med-large size dog sleepy. Also, just like in humans it can cause the opposite effect so if you are going to try it I would test that first as well as the Ace just as the Vet suggested earlier. Good luck. Best thing that works for me is to be firm and keep telling them to lay down and make a couple stops to run get them tired.
Most Important: call your vet they should be happy to address your concerns and there are more options for this kind of problem.

My Golden Retriever, Cheyenne, is 10 years old and is terrified of fireworks! I've tried Benydryl - to little or no effect. I finally contacted my when my neighbor bought fireworks 3 weeks before the 4th. Poor Cheyenne has destroyed several doorframes in my house, tries to squeeze into spaces much too small and trembles so badly I was afraid she would have a heart attack. My vet prescribed the Acepromazine and said to give her 1/2 of a 25mg tablet. The 1/2 pill calmed her down to the point that when the mortars went off next door a couple of hours later she didn't even flinch! So far I only have good things to say about this prescription - it's a lifesaver - literally!

My 100 pit-mix had ear surgery and kept shaking the bandage off. The vet said to give him 2 tabs of 25mg. They said it would start wearing down after 3 hours. WRONG!! I thought my dog was going to die ! Raspy and labored breathing, very unresponsive, and his eyes kept rolling back in his head! It didn't wear off for 18 hours. I'll never use that stuff again! Mike

50 mg sounds like ALOT for a 100 pound dog I give my 100,pound sheepie 25 mg about an hour before grooming. He does become relaxed and does sleep a bit after the four hours or grooming ( wouldn't you) but he is okay the same day. However, 50 mg sounds like too much of a dose.

My younger sheepie, at 64 pounds gets half the 25 tab and does okay as well. My dogs have done well but I use this lower dosage. I don't think I would go to the 50 limit.
Diane

I can understand being apprehensive about reusing a drug that your dog had a bad reaction to but it's always important to consider that, like Diane said, it could be the dosage more than the drug. Looking at most of these posts and a few experiences I've heard from people, it seems like the reactions that they're describing are those of a dog that's been overdosed.

I wonder if we all asked our vets how much acepromazine that they'd prescribe for, say, an 85 pound dog, if we'd get hundreds of different answers?

That is scary that we would get all the different dosages recommendations from different vets about a drug that could be dangerous...But then again, medical doctors do it for people too! It never made sense to me that over the counters give a dose for adults and then one for children...But no mention of weight...So I am just about 100 pounds and my husband is 220 and we would take the same amount of a drug Doesn't make sense to me...

Like I said, my 100 pound dog gets 25 mg and its enough to get him a bit sleepy but still cognizant and responsive. I wouldn't think of giving a higher dose no matter what a vet told me...

After reading all the posts here I am not going to blindly follow the prescribed dose for my dog. We're going to be visiting family over the weekend and she will be left at their house for most of an evening. She barks non-stop and rather frantically when we leave her in their yard and leave the house and is frantic if we leave her in the crate there also. We're not in this situation very often at all so I talked to my vet and were told to give her 2 25mg tablets an hour before we leave the house. She is right at 50 lbs. I think I will try giving her 1/4 of a tablet this week to see how she handles it. I'm so glad I stumbled across this forum!

What? 2 pills of 25 m for a dog that is only 50 pounds Are you sreu you understood him correctly? That is WAY WAY too much!!!!

If you've followed some of the posts, you'll read how that dosage knocked out a 100 lb St. bernard. Your dog is half that size. Not to contradict a Vet, but please re think this dosage...I give my 60 pound OES 1/2 of a 25 ( so like 12.5m).. My 100 lb gets 1 25 m tab...

Maybe I am misreading what you wrote and/or we are using different dosage terms? No way in hell would I give a 50 lb dog that high of a dosage....Please call the vet or get another opinion...

Ashley wrote:

What? 2 pills of 25 m for a dog that is only 50 pounds Are you sreu you understood him correctly? That is WAY WAY too much!!!!

If you've followed some of the posts, you'll read how that dosage knocked out a 100 lb St. bernard. Your dog is half that size. Not to contradict a Vet, but please re think this dosage...I give my 60 pound OES 1/2 of a 25 ( so like 12.5m).. My 100 lb gets 1 25 m tab...

The label says, "Give 2 tablets at once about hour before". They are 25 MG. Like I said, I will try a quarter of a tablet today or tomorrow. So glad I look for info on the drug online. It would have been awful to come back at night to a severely incapacitated dog...or worse...especially for my 9 year old daughter!

My daughter uses it when flying with her little min pin Spike. The original dosing was given under vet supervision in their office. They kept him there all morning to make sure the dose was correct.

Spike weighs a bit under 10 pounds and he takes 5mg. He is out for long enough to fly from NY to MN. Just waking up and wobbly after that.

50 mg for a 50 lb dog seems way too much. Shame on the vet for not doing a trial of the drug 1st. They do all react differently, so a weight dosing isn't always accurate either.

Guest, and why not register? Its free and we'll be able to address you properly instead of saying "guest" all the time

Anyway, I am so glad you researched the dosage. And I agree shame on the vet for prescribing this amount. I venture to say you would ahve had a HUGE problem with an overdose if you followed the label.

I might add, sometimes the vet tech is the one who puts the lables on the medications. I've had this happen in the past. the vet prescribes something and when it gets communicaed to the Vet tech, somehow its not written on the lable correctly. I had my own Vet prescribe something for my younger dog and when I saw the dosage, realizing it was the same as they give my older dog ( who is also twice her weight) I called and they said, oops...Yeah,oops, could ahve caused an overdose... -

Good luck with the drug. From experience, even thought it says give an hour before, I found the "height" of the effect was after a few hours - like two or sohours. And then my dog was sleepy but alert and responsive. Just happy to sleep and relax...

Keep us posted.
Di and Gang

I haven't registered because I will probably not continue reading posts on this forum. I barely have computer time these days with two kiddos and a dog who keep life very interesting and busy.

I gave Bailey (my black & tan mix) a little less than half a tablet the other day. After 45 minutes she was having trouble walking without having her front legs cross and slept pretty deeply for 3 hours. There was no outside stimulus to check her alertness though.

Yesterday at my dad's house I gave her one tablet at 5:00 and 4 to 5 hours later when he and my step-mom returned home she was barking as normal until let inside. I was told she was quite wobbly when walking though. The neighbor ended up not being home at all so we have no idea if she ever let herself sleep.

I keep hoping she will become calmer with age. We adopted her at 2 years and she is now 7. I think I'm losing hope for her to calm.

Thanks for the input and advice. It looks like my dog may have been okay with 2 tablets but I would much rather be safe than sorry.

Ashley wrote:

What? 2 pills of 25 m for a dog that is only 50 pounds Are you sreu you understood him correctly? That is WAY WAY too much!!!!

If you've followed some of the posts, you'll read how that dosage knocked out a 100 lb St. bernard. Your dog is half that size. Not to contradict a Vet, but please re think this dosage...I give my 60 pound OES 1/2 of a 25 ( so like 12.5m).. My 100 lb gets 1 25 m tab...

Maybe I am misreading what you wrote and/or we are using different dosage terms? No way in hell would I give a 50 lb dog that high of a dosage....Please call the vet or get another opinion...

Dosage of Acepromazine is 1 mg per pound of body weight...
So, 50mg for a 50 pound dog would be correct!
(ace is a drug that you shoudl really start out on the low side of though)

It has been a long time since I have used it!
I did have a gal that had a poss reaction so, we do not use it!!!
(except on the old aussie with thunderstorm issues)

My 170+lb Great Dane has metastatic bone cancer and is persribed prednisone, tramidol, and neurotin. Lately she has been getting restless/anxious in the evening and is up frequently throughout the nite. So, Dr. perscribe her 25mgs ACE to be given each evening. Her first dose made her a zombie, she could bearly stand. Remember she is a 170+lb dog....so I would be careful giving this medicine to your dog, as most dogs aren't near the size and weight as she is. She will certainly get 1/4 tab her next time around.

bjhorsefly1201 wrote:

My 170+lb Great Dane has metastatic bone cancer and is persribed prednisone, tramidol, and neurotin. Lately she has been getting restless/anxious in the evening and is up frequently throughout the nite. So, Dr. perscribe her 25mgs ACE to be given each evening. Her first dose made her a zombie, she could bearly stand. Remember she is a 170+lb dog....so I would be careful giving this medicine to your dog, as most dogs aren't near the size and weight as she is. She will certainly get 1/4 tab her next time around.

That reaction could be magnified by the other medications that she's been taking, too.

I don't have an old English sheepdog either, I have a cat, but found this discussion by googling "acepromazine." I have a (approx) 12 yr. old Russian grey female cat, healthy, 6 lbs. (she's small) and my daughter wants to take her back to S. Diego (from Phila) at Thanksgiving ... the cat was originally hers. We both would like to do this, but Pushkin is EXTREMELY car sick (she both vomits and has continual bowel movements in the car). THerefore, I do not take her anywhere. This trip is extremely intimidating and I have been searching for a tranquilizes. I'd tried that spray tranquilizer before in her crate: it did nothing. So I thought we should turn to drugs. This morning I tried her on 1mg of Valium (vet suggestion) and her behavior was unchanged. Tonight I am reading about Acepromazine and wonder if that is a better choice. Penn
Vet School suggested Alprazolam (Xanax) but was reluctant to suggest a dosage. I want to try whatever we are using before the trip. Can anyone make suggestions? Should I just try a slightly higher dose of the Valium? Or should I try the Ace? or the Alprazolam ... and if the latter two, what dose for a 6 lb. cat? THANKS.

graybelle wrote:

I don't have an old English sheepdog either, I have a cat, but found this discussion by googling "acepromazine." I have a (approx) 12 yr. old Russian grey female cat, healthy, 6 lbs. (she's small) and my daughter wants to take her back to S. Diego (from Phila) at Thanksgiving ... the cat was originally hers. We both would like to do this, but Pushkin is EXTREMELY car sick (she both vomits and has continual bowel movements in the car). THerefore, I do not take her anywhere. This trip is extremely intimidating and I have been searching for a tranquilizes. I'd tried that spray tranquilizer before in her crate: it did nothing. So I thought we should turn to drugs. This morning I tried her on 1mg of Valium (vet suggestion) and her behavior was unchanged. Tonight I am reading about Acepromazine and wonder if that is a better choice. PennVet School suggested Alprazolam (Xanax) but was reluctant to suggest a dosage. I want to try whatever we are using before the trip. Can anyone make suggestions? Should I just try a slightly higher dose of the Valium? Or should I try the Ace? or the Alprazolam ... and if the latter two, what dose for a 6 lb. cat? THANKS.

I'm sure cats are like the dogs, in that the same drug can have very different actions on each individual. If it were my cat, I would do a trial dosing at the vets office while under observation. Then you can tell the affect the drug has, how they react and also how long the medication dosing lasts in the animal. As far as which drug, you never know which will work the best. Sometimes you just have to pick one and try it....it may work, it may do nothing, or you may have a bad reaction. That is why the vet doing a trial dosing is worth the time and money.

My daughter (with Spike the Min Pin) tried several drugs before the Ace trial, and it works perfectly for him. As you have read, this is not always the best drug. I would be very hesitant to blindly dose a pet and travel with no idea how it will react.
Good luck!

If everyone would stop talking "half a tablet", quarter of a tablet" etc. it might start to make sense. There are 10 mg tablets and 25 mg tablets. Mention that and you're communicating clearly.

Hello,

Can somebody tell me what would be the the right dosage for my dog (Terrier mix/10 years old), 8 pounds, we are leaving to South America on Thursday.

Thank you.

Well, I just gave Brick a dose of ACE. 25 mgHe weighs 58 lbs.

By the end of 1 hour after giving it to him, he looked drunk. Kinda funny and kinda sad at the same time.

He got up one time about 1.25 hours after I gave it to him. I carried him into the basement, laid him on the couch, and turned on the TV.

He seems to be OK. Relaxed.

I guess I'm just a nervous dad. He's never had a tranq before.

Wow, that was a pretty powerful drug.He was loopy (and maybe on the edge of passing out) all night. He even seemed to be a little unsteady this morning as well (12 hours later).

Remember that scene in Bambi where she tries to stand up on the ice? Yeah, that was Brick on any surface last night.

And he got 25mg. The things I saw online about ace said 0.5-1.5 mg per pound. At 58 lbs, the minimum dose should have been 29 mg. The max dose would have been 87 mg. I'm thinking that dosage probably would have killed him.

If I use this stuff again, I may cut a pill in half & give that to him. I don't want to knock him out, just calm his nerves.

Otherwise I think I'll try the diphenhydramine (Benadryl).

I have been reading all the posts on Ace. This was given to me yesterday for my Golden Mix. He is 62 lbs and a sweetie. He has issues with storms and whines .. as I live in Tampa (lightning capital of the world!) It is storm season. Also, 4th of July he was crazy as we had storms all weekend AND fireworks. He hasn't seemed to recover from that PTSD

I used to give him 1/2 a .25 mg Xanax (which I have found I should not have been doing ... but it worked) I With this Ace stuff, I saw very subtle effect. It's 5 hours later and more storms are coming through and I don't know if I can redose him. Nothing on the prescription said "how often". I don't want to "mix" drugs either. Never tried Benadryl... I am so confused ... he is pacing and whining. What do I do?

Thank you all for all you have shared. I agonize over medicating my loved pets. I have huge fears of doing more harm than good. It took me a few months and a few seizures to medicate my Murphy with phenobarbitol. He has done well for the most part on the phenobarbitol but I was so fearful of the side effects and/or losing him from the seizures.

Both of my dogs are Golden Retrievers (my 3rd and 4th).

Lily is a female we got a couple of years ago from a breeder who was basically throwing her away. She never produced puppies, therefore was worthless to the breeder. We took her in with no expectations other than loving her and she has come such a long way, far more than we expected of a dog who had not had much human contact, no love, no treats and no rides in any vehicle.

Every ride in the car has produced such stress she pants, paces, digs into the seats and last time even tore a nail and bled. She then pants and shakes for hours.

We went camping last weekend and she was pacing, panting, digging in any corner she could get to. I put her in her crate, that was worse. I thought she would really hurt herself in there. I kept her leash on her so I could control where she went so she could not hurt herself. She was a mess. She did not eat Saturday night or Sunday morning (not unusual when we have camped before in the past). Same behavior coming home.

I cannot take her to a kennel because I am afraid it will be too hard on her. I do not want to have her be so fearful. So I called my vet. I trust my vet completely and he is one who believes in if a little does the job, use a little, not a lot.

So after much soul searching and finding this wonderful site (thank you) I decided to give Lily what the Rx said 1 to 1-1/2 tablet one hour before anticipated anxiety. I went with the 1 tablet. She is approximately 52 pounds. I wanted to try a test before we were too far from our emergency vets office in case something adverse happened.

My vet's office said that it may make a difference in when she ate. So I am keeping a log on when she ate and when I gave her the medication. It will most likely work harder on an empty stomach. It was 7 hours since she ate, which is approximatelly what it will be when we leave next weekend.

30 minutes later, no change but she wanted out to go potty.1 hour later, she is awake but very relaxed. This kind of scares me to think she is this relaxed after only one hour (my fears are sometimes out of control).

I will keep checking her to make sure she is breathing okay, if not. I wll scoop her up and take her to the ER.

Again, thank you all for your input. I truly appreciate each and every comment that was made.

Guest wrote:

Thank you all for all you have shared. I agonize over medicating my loved pets. I have huge fears of doing more harm than good. It took me a few months and a few seizures to medicate my Murphy with phenobarbitol. He has done well for the most part on the phenobarbitol but I was so fearful of the side effects and/or losing him from the seizures.

Both of my dogs are Golden Retrievers (my 3rd and 4th).

Lily is a female we got a couple of years ago from a breeder who was basically throwing her away. She never produced puppies, therefore was worthless to the breeder. We took her in with no expectations other than loving her and she has come such a long way, far more than we expected of a dog who had not had much human contact, no love, no treats and no rides in any vehicle.

Every ride in the car has produced such stress she pants, paces, digs into the seats and last time even tore a nail and bled. She then pants and shakes for hours.

We went camping last weekend and she was pacing, panting, digging in any corner she could get to. I put her in her crate, that was worse. I thought she would really hurt herself in there. I kept her leash on her so I could control where she went so she could not hurt herself. She was a mess. She did not eat Saturday night or Sunday morning (not unusual when we have camped before in the past). Same behavior coming home.

I cannot take her to a kennel because I am afraid it will be too hard on her. I do not want to have her be so fearful. So I called my vet. I trust my vet completely and he is one who believes in if a little does the job, use a little, not a lot.

So after much soul searching and finding this wonderful site (thank you) I decided to give Lily what the Rx said 1 to 1-1/2 tablet one hour before anticipated anxiety. I went with the 1 tablet. She is approximately 52 pounds. I wanted to try a test before we were too far from our emergency vets office in case something adverse happened.

My vet's office said that it may make a difference in when she ate. So I am keeping a log on when she ate and when I gave her the medication. It will most likely work harder on an empty stomach. It was 7 hours since she ate, which is approximatelly what it will be when we leave next weekend.

30 minutes later, no change but she wanted out to go potty.1 hour later, she is awake but very relaxed. This kind of scares me to think she is this relaxed after only one hour (my fears are sometimes out of control).

I will keep checking her to make sure she is breathing okay, if not. I wll scoop her up and take her to the ER.

Again, thank you all for your input. I truly appreciate each and every comment that was made.

I apologize, I thought I had signed in, apparently not.

Also, the Acepromazine is 25 mg. One and one-half hours after dosing my Lily she is very relaxed and responds to her name but I am not sure she cares about getting up or not, just seems peaceful.

Oldpoopswife

We've used Ace without problem. You might want to try Bach's Rescue Remedy also. The one for pets has no alcohol and is not a drug but an herbal natural stress reliever. Also, when the storms are hitting, think about possibly putting her in her crate with you in the room and turning a fan on or something with white noise. Watch what you put on the tv as some shows are annoying to them! We find talk shows good...

Also I ahve a CD called "While you were gone" for dogs. Nice music and seems to calm them.

And there is always a stufed Kong to keep them busy during a storm. So hard on the pups when its stormy...Good Luck.

I am not a member but was searching for ACP information,. I have it to give to my male Portuguese Water Dog should the fact that his sister is in season become unbearable---its complicated. My in season baby OES is with friends--lone long story.

To ACP i have had PES for over 35 years. I was always told not to give them ACP, also Barbituates, Advantix and Scalibor. A friend lost her dog to Scalibor. My own OES when 2 had Barbituates pre her spey op, in spite of me having given the Vet instructions not to give it. We nearly lost her and the Vet decided I was correct! Advantix, first dose, within 2 hours she had 'gone' into another world, eyes gone, shaking, she ended up on a drip for 48 hours and it took a week to get her back to normal. SO my OES are treated with great respect with all meds. My new Vets obey all their instructions.

I live in The Algarve in Portugal and have a pet store. Paws4Pets.net pictures of OES are on it.

Best wishes Jan, Chleo, Cleo, Merlin and Cassie my four footed children xx

I have used Acepromazine 25mg. on my Softcoated Wheaton Terrier. Each time the doze and effect was unpredictable until now.

It makes a big difference if the dog has eaten or not.

On an empty stomach I suggest starting out with 1/4 of a 25mg tablet for a 38lb dog. It takes effect almost immediately and with full force.

On a full stomach or half full stomach it takes more to sedate and you can't tell when it will kick in or for how long the effects will last.

Better to use a lower doze and add to it as needed than it is to cause an overdoze reaction in your beloved dog.

The dosages for benadryl in dogs is 1 mg per pound of body weight. I give my 85 lb dog 100 mg since he seems much, much less affected by it than my other dog. She is 75 lbs & 75 mg makes her very sleepy.

You can always ask your vet if it is possible to give your dog 1/2 the dosage to see how you dog does with the medicine. I work at a clinic and have given this med before. I noticed a calm effect when starting out with a smaller dose by halfing the tablet and the dog was still alert but calmer. You might try asking your vet if this is okay for your dog before you try this method. But he/she may be able to see if your dog can start out gradually on the medication to 'get used to it' and see how your dog responds to it.It is the level of calmness you are looking for or wanting in your pet that counts.

I've been searching about this as my Lab. She has anxiety, that we are using group puppy care to resolve and it's working well, however, after surgery a few months ago and a recent leg strain, we have had to keep her in active. Try telling a 1 year old lab to be inactive! We are using ACE but have noticed even on lower doses she gets what I as a nurse calls inactive patient syndrome....she develops lung congestion with a thick cough. I've talked to the vet today and we, if we continue to use it, will cut the dose to .25 and see how that works.

Sad story...my mom gave her 10 year old shepard ace, which she has given her for years for anxiety re thunder....and was lethargic for days .... and today died.....every drug has risks and benefits...

Oh, so sorry about your loss I'm not sure the Ace was to blame. But whatever, it is a loss of your beloved friend and I send out my thoughts and prayers to you and your family

I have used acepromazine for years on my two miniture poodles with no problems at all during our 12 hour drive to Connecticut. It calms them down, but they are able to get out when we stopped for breaks with no problems.

i dont have an oes but a old english bulldog and hes very nervous about putting meds in ears for an ear infection. if you try he will snap and same way with toenails. my doctor prescribed acepromazine to relax him so i could do it. my bulldog is 80lbs and he said to give him 25 mg or up to 50mg. im nervous about giving it to him. has anyone ever given it to a bulldog before?

I have been reading the posts on tranqilizers for pets...My 12.5 Shih Tzu is so afraid of storms he just wants to hide and shivers...I have used Bach Rescue Remedy and it calms him and puts him to sleep..That would be my choice because it is all natural and fast acting and very easy to use just a spray on the tongue....[removedforsafety] @cox.net

Hi. Ive stupidly just read up on this drug when its sadly too late for my little 3 year old shij tzu. He was prescribed to take 25mg to calm him down at the groomers. He had them in jis ystem for 1.5hrs and suddekly died on the groomers table. The vet said it was something freak that happens but to a 3 year old healthy dog. I am devastated and cant believe this could have caused this to him. You trust your vet and what they prescribe. Their outcome was you give medication at your own risk. So wish i never my poor baby.

Guest, I am so sorry to hear about you loss of your baby... My friend had a Lhasa Alpso who passed away while at the groomers and it had something to do with the dryers, etc...whatever it was, I am sorry for your baby...so sad....

I have a 3 year old lab mixed with boxer and he is very aggressive with the vet and strangers. My vet wants me to give 100 mg before his next visit in order for my dog to be calmed. I dont want to give him so much. Is this normal?

100 mg sounds like a super dose...are you sure you understood the Vet's recommendation? We usually give 20 mg MAX - and my dog is 110 pounds...That dosage doesn't sound right...in fact, it sounds like it could be almost fatal...please check with the Vet again before giving that amount...

My question is my little guy is 21 pounds and he has problems in the car. He throws up just going 30 miles to the groomer. My vet prescribed this medicine. Can I feed him before/with the medicine, other than throwing up all he does is lay in the car. Dramamine doesnt work for him. Any help

Have you tried Bach's rescue Remedy? Have you tried to do short trips, like just in and out of the driveway, to get him used to the car and then extending it longer and longer? At 21 pounds, I hope you are not thinking of givin 100 mg of Ace...I think it would kill him, no kidding....

Although my vet recomended 100mg I called him back concerned and he then instructed me to give him 50mg. I still didnt feel ok with this so I decided to give him only 25 mg. As it turned out the medication didnt affect him until after the vet visit, which of course was too late. Apparently he became sleepy after we got home and he slept for two hours and woke up fine.

I still have hesitations and I dont think I will give it to him again.

where can i buy acepromazine over the counter?

Ashley wrote:

Have you tried Bach's rescue Remedy? Have you tried to do short trips, like just in and out of the driveway, to get him used to the car and then extending it longer and longer? At 21 pounds, I hope you are not thinking of givin 100 mg of Ace...I think it would kill him, no kidding....

Hi ashley.im isaac and have a 25lb.cockerspaniel.32lb.lab.&a a 23lb cat.im taking a 20hour trip.and wanted to know if u knew where to buy acepromazine over the counter?

Our vet said it is strictly by prescription only.

Please be vary wary of this medication. It is powerful. Our vet prescribed it yesterday for my little 16 lb brussels griffon. One 10 mg tablet made him disoriented within 5 minutes and he was heavily drugged for at least 9 hours from the one pill. He was extremely unsteady, trouble walking and falling over when the drug should have been worn off and had difficulty breathing for many hours beyond. His eyes are still glazed and bloodshot. He is still not doing well today. Never again...too powerful to be used outside of a veterinarian's office in my opinion.

Got it for my dog for a cross country move. She threw up everytime I gave it to her!

I don't have an OES, although I LOVE them Right now, we have a 100 lb Golden Retriever who is about 7-1/2 years old. She has been terrified of storms since she was about 1 and seems to be getting worse with age My vet prescribed ACE at 10-20 mg for her. This just makes her sleepy, but once the storm is here it's like she hasn't had any drugs at all. She seems to be the sleepiest about 2-3 hours after I give this to her so I watch the radar to try to get it timed just right I'm just beside myself. She shakes, pants, paces, tries to get on top of every piece of furniture and now behind every piece of furniture and on top of me. She cannot stay still. My normally sweet, loving and well behaved dog becomes a wild animal that forgets everything she knows. I've had back surgery and then injured my knee, so I'm just not as strong as I use to be and I can barely control her. We've tried the thundershirt, numerous OTC remedies, putting her in the bathroom (which she tried to destroy to get out), putting her prong collar and leash on her. My husband can handle her with the collar and leash .. he just forces her to lay down and stay ... we've even slept with him having her leash on his wrist. But, all I seem to end up with is leash burns on my hands from trying to hold on to this temporarily wild animal. I'm just looking for ideas/suggestions ... The max ACE I've given her is 25mg. I'm considering increasing this to 35mg a couple of hours before our next storm since the 25 doesn't calm her down enough but am wondering if that would make much difference. I tried Benadryl last weekend, and if anything I think it made her more hyped up than normal. HELP??? Any suggestions, thoughts, comments will be greatly appreciated! I LOVE this dog, but I've got to find something that works and soon. (I work from home and my husband works 2nd shift). Thanks!

Acepromazine can be very dangerous for Australian Shepherds and Border Collies as well. Seems they're missing a gene needed to process/eliminate it and it can cause brain defects and/or death the second time it is used. You can have your dog tested; see University of Wa for test kit; ends up costing about $100.00.